Spiral ball conveyor



June 10, 1958 1 F. SIEGFRIED 2,838,159

SPIRAL BALL CONVEYOR Filed April 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z, L 39 a v 26 A A [4/ I w mm:

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SPIRAL BALL CONVEYOR Filed April 17, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent SPIRAL BALL CONVEYOR Fritz Siegfried, Chicago, Ill.

Application'April 17, 1957, Serial No. 653,373

3 Claims. (Cl. 198-26) This invention relates to a spiral ball conveyor, and more particularly to a rotating spiral track on which rolling balls are conveyed.

The present invention'utilizes a new and improved spiral track construction that is mounted for rotation in a vertical plane. Balls or other rollable objects are introduced near the center of the spiral track by a unique ball feed means and roll downwardly in a vertical line as the spiral rotates. The balls then drop from the bottom at the periphery of the spiral.

This invention is adaptable to many uses such as a childs toy, a conveyor for rolling objects such as where it is desirable to transfer rolling objects from one level to another or to mix the contents of a rolling container. The structure is also adaptable as a power generating means to rotate a spiral or the shaft to which it 'is attached.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a new and improved spiral ball conveyor.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a spiral track rotatable in a vertical plane and upon which balls are freely rollable.

' A further object of the present invention is to provide a spiral ball conveyor as described above wherein the rolling balls act as the drive means for rotating the spiral track.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a spiral ball conveyor as described above having means to introduce balls singly into the spiral track.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a spiral conveyor as described above having a ball receiving portion on which the balls roll to provide an initial torque impetus for rotation of the spiral track.

Other and further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings in which:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of a spiral ball conveyor illustrating one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged front elevational view of a portion of the device of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the structure illustrated in Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged horizontal sectional of a portion of the device of Fig. 1 taken along lines 6-6 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 illustrating the position of a ball and the spiral track before introduction of the ball onto the spiral track;

1 Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing a ball on the spiral track and the track advanced from the posi- 'tion of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing two balls on the spiral track and the track advanced from the position of Fig. 8.

While this device is susceptible of embodiments in 2 many di'tferent forms, there is shown in the drawings and will herein be described in detail one specific embodiment, with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplifioation of the principles of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the embodiment illustrated. The scope of the invention will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Referring now to the drawings, the spiral ball conveyor, generally indicated as broadly consists of a supporting structure 21 on which a spiral track 22 is mounted for rotation thereon. In the embodiment of Fig. 1 the rotation would normally be clockwise. The supporting structure 21 includes ball feed means 23 which feed balls 24 into the center of the spiral track for simultaneous rotation of the track and rolling of the balls thereby progressing the balls in a vertical line down the track for eventual discharge at the bottom thereof.

The supporting structure 21 consists of a base 25 to which is attached a vertical support 26. A horizontal shaft 27 extends from the upper end 28 of the vertical support 26 for the mounting of the spiral track-22 thereon. Attached to the outer end 29 of the shaft 27 is a ball feed trough 30 which is shaped to hold a plurality of balls, and declines toward the center of the spiral track to feed balls into the track. In the embodiment shown, the ball feed trough 30 is formed from a U-shaped rod which is supported above the hub 31 which is mounted on the shaft 27 and fixed thereto by a locking pin 32 extending through the hub and shaft. To prevent balls from falling off the ball feed trough when contasted by the ball stop 34, which will be described below, a guard 33 is provided along the righthand side 35 of the trough.

The spiral track in the embodiment lilustrated comprises a pair of spirally curved lengths 36 having a plurality of loops 49. The lengths are secured in a fixed spaced relationship by cross pieces 37 to provide a track upon which balls may roll. The loops 49 are secured to radial supports 38 extending froma central bearing 48 rotatably mounted on the shaft 27. Because of the spiral shape, the lowest point of each loop of the spiral is horizontally spaced from the vertical plane of the shaft 27 so that when a ball is on the track it tends to roll to the lowest point of the particular loop. When the ball is in this lowest point, a torque is produced determined by the weight of the ball and a moment arm measured by the distance from the lowest point of the loop to the vertical plane of the shaft. This torque imparts a rotation to the track setting up a condition wherein the balls are rolling around the spiral counterclockwise relative to the spiral, and the spiral is rotating clockwise relative to the supporting structure with the result that the balls move in a downward vertical path until the last loop 39 of the spiral passes the ball and the ball drops off the track onto the base 25.

Any type of base 25 can be utilized depending on the use of the device, whether for a game or for any other purpose. In the embodiment illustrated, the base has a curved metal plate 40 mounted directly below the spiral track 22 so that balls dropping from the track strike the curved metal plate 40 and roll from the plate onto the base 25. A retaining rail 41 is attached to the plate to prevent balls from rolling off the plate so that they may be easily recovered and collected.

This invention includes a unique ball feed means 23 which in addition to the ball feed trough 30 includes an outwardly spiralling ball stop 34 secured to the track 22 and rotatable therewith. The end 43 of the stop 34 is spaced from the track sufiiciently to enter between the first and second balls adjacent the track to prevent more than one ball from dropping into the track, During each ICE rotation thereof the stop 34 spirally advances into the plane of the track 22 so that the second ball is permitted to advance to the position previously occupied by the first ball, during. one. rotation of the. track. Thus on the nextv rotation of the track, the. step 3.4. will once. again enter between adjacent balls and prevent more than one ball from. dropping. ontothe track. The operation of the ball feed. means. is. aptly illustrated in Figs. 4.9'.

A unique. ball receiving section 44- is formed in thespiral, track 22 for receipt of balls. as they roll from the trough 30 in, a manner controlled by the ball engaging length 42.. This ballrreceiving section is provided with an inner, portion 45' adjacent the center of. the spiral track which extends outwardly from the center and declines to the righthand' side of the track, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4, when the track is in the ball receiving position so that as aball is fed onto the inner portion 45, it rolls outwardly to a position where a relatively large torque is provided to give the initial impetus to the rotation of the spiral track. At the outer end of the inner portion 45, a sharply curved portion 46 is provided which is curved upwardly to merge with the inner end 47' of the spiral track to guide the balls from the ball receiving section onto the spiral track for movement thereon. To prevent balls from falling out of the ball receiving section, a curved arm 50 is mounted adjacent the sharply curved portion 46;

In operation, halls are loaded on the trough 30 and the spiral track 22 is given an initial clockwise rotation as by hand so that it-will rotate sufiiciently to permit the first ball to be conveyed onto the ball receiving section 44. The ball then rolls downwardly on the declining inner portion 45 giving the track the necessary impetus to continue rotation. The ball then is guided by the sharply curved portion 46 onto the spiral track and rolls at the bottom of the loop, which as described above, is spaced from the center line of the spiral track to maintain a moment arm thereby producing a torque on the track for continuous rotation thereon. As thetorque is measured by the moment arm and the weight of the balls, it is obvious that the rate ofrotation can be controlled by the weight of the balls, thus the balls must be of sufi'icient weight to overcome the rolling friction of the track and ball. Subsequent balls are fedonto the track upon each rotation of the track.

Naturally, the structure and the balls can be constructed of any desirable material such as metal or any of various plastic materials depending on the strength and cost desired.

Thus, the above described. invention provides a new and unique. s ructure for: conveying balls from the center of'a spiral to the bottom. thereof and has adaptability for anysituation Where it is desired: to roll objects, to convey them frorrn one point. to a lower point, or to provide simple power. for rotation of a shaft.

One speciah adaptation of the present invention is for use as a toy wherein the spiral can be brightly colored to give. apleasant effect as. theballs roll thereon. Further, it can be adapted as a game by using any desired method of scoring such as incorporating holes in the base in which the balls may come to rest as they roll off the spiral. Also, the rotation of the spiral could be linked to a shaft to provide power toys.

I claim as my invention:

l. A spiral ball conveyor, comprising: a supporting structure; a horizontal shaft secured to and extending from said supporting structure; a spiral track mounted on said shaft for rotation in a substantially vertical plane; balls freely rollable on said spiral track in a manner so as to descend in a substantially vertical line from the interior to the periphery of said track as the track rotates; and means for feedingballs. onto the interior of the spiral track including a ball. feed. trough in: which a plurality of balls may be mounted and a ball engaging member secured to said spiral track, for rotation therewith, said ball engaging member passing between adjacent balls on said trough to permit the feeding of a single ball onto said track during each complete rotation of the track.

2. A spiral ball conveyor, comprising: a supporting. structure; a horizontal shaft secured to and extending from said supporting structure; a spiral track, mounted on said shaft for rotation in a substantially vertical plane; a ball freely rollable on said spiral track in a manner so for the operation of other as to descend in. a substantially vertical line from the interior to the periphery of said track as the track rotates; means for feeding the ball onto the interior of the spiral track; and a ball receiving portion on said track at the interior thereof having an, inner end adjacent said means, an inner length of track leading away from said means cooperating with the means to direct a ball fed'by the means away from the vertical plane of said shaft to impart an initial torque to the track. causing rotation, and a' sharply curved length of track on which the ball rolls from said inner length to the rest of the spiral track:

3. A spiral ball conveyor, comprising: a supporting structure; a horizontal shaft secured to and extending from said supporting structure;'a spiral track mounted on said shaft for rotation in a substantially vertical plane; balls freely rollable on said spiral track in a manner so as to descend in asubstantially vertical line from the interior to the periphery of said track as the track rotates; means for feeding balls onto the interior of the spiral track including a ball feed trough in which a plurality of balls may be mounted and a ball engaging member secured to said spiral track for rotation therewith, said. ball engaging member passing between adjacent balls on said trough to permit feeding of a single ball onto said track during each complete. rotation of the track; and a ball receiving portion on said track at the interior thereof, said portion being adjacent the means for feeding balls on the track and leading away therefrom so. that as a ball is fed onto said portion it rolls to a position away from the vertical plane of the shaft thereby imparting a torque to the track which causes rotation, said portion merging with the rest of the track to feed the balls thereonto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,556,569 Allison June 12, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 440,375 Germany Aug. 5, I927 

